Hook stood directly in front of the empty mirror, staring at its
blank expanse. What would it take to finish this? He was tired of
everything; he wasn't meant to live in such solitude. If this place
would just finish with him and let him truly die. Or at least give
him something to fight.

"Let this end," he said, laying his hand flat against
the glass. Though he would never have actually said 'please', he was
thinking it.

The mirror started rippling outward over his hand and around his
body. He couldn't move as the glass flowed around him like a sea of
mercury, encasing him inside a bubble of glass. The room was gone,
and he was floating above London just above hefty fog banks. It took
him a few moments to orient himself to his strange position. Then he
was stunned by the sight of his ship sailing towards him in the skies
of London. It was a magnificent spectacle, glowing with fairy dust,
if he could only take her and fly to lands far beyond Neverland and
away from that dratted boy, but that was not to be. He sighed as he
began to sink below the fogline (or perhaps everything was rising
around him, it was impossible for him to tell). He'd hoped to see the
children leave the ship, but instead found himself drifting over the
streets in the direction of the Darling home. He felt as
insubstantial as a ghost, floating through the fog. Once or twice, he
thought he caught a glimpse of that ridiculous doghouse going through
the streets, though he was never certain.

Soon however, he found himself just above the nursery window of
the Darling home, where he could see Mary sleeping in a chair by the
window, waiting for the brats to come home. It would have served them
right if she'd locked them out and went away on a long holiday. But
that's something she would never do.

The sight of Mary sleeping so peacefully was sublime but for Hook,
it was short lived. The vision before him began to fade. At first, he
didn't think much of it. This was an experience to which he had grown
accustomed. However, something was different this time. Everything
was swirling violently and he felt as though an unseen hand had
reached through his back, grabbed his stomach, and was pulling him
quickly from the window.

Just as the distorted image of the window disappeared into
darkness, another began to form. Hook feared he was about to be flung
back into that accursed room but as he slowed and the vision grew
more detailed, it soon became clear that he was going somewhere else.
Ignorant though he was of his destination, he thought that anyplace
would be better than the mysterious keep from which escape heretofore
seemed impossible.

Curiously, the window was coming back into view. Only this time,
he was on the inside of it looking out into the sky where he had been
suspended only moments before. "I'm coming! What is it?"
Was that his voice? It couldn't have been. It seemed to come from his
head but it sounded nothing like him. Hook tried to move, to speak,
to shout, to curse, but it was all to no avail.

Suddenly, the brats stood before him. "We're back, Father.
Did you miss us?" The boy was talking to him! Something else was
happening to him as well, emotions not his own were beating on his
mind, relief, joy, embarassment.

"You're back. Good. Excellent. Well done." There was
that voice again, ringing in his head. A hand, an actual right hand
instead of a hook, reached out in front of him and took the boy
John's hand. Gradually, the truth became evident. Hook had become
little more than a spectator in George Darling's head. He could see,
hear, and feel everything just as if he were George but was
powerless to do anything of his own volition. For a fleeting moment,
the keep seemed somewhat inviting.

Hook watched helplessly as George wrapped his arms around John,
overwhelmed by the man's joy. "Oh, my angels." He knelt and
reached out to hug Michael, laughing. "Of course I missed you."
He looked at Wendy, smiled, and reached out to hug her. For a moment,
Hook wondered if she could see him through her father's eyes.

Millicent entered the room, followed by the lost boys. Hook tried
harder than ever to will George to lash out at the lot; he felt as if
he were drowning in George's happiness and deafened by Millicent's
squeals of delight.

Wendy ran over to the boys. "Mother, Father, I would like to
introduce the Lost Boys."

"Hello," all said in near unison.

"May I keep them?" Wendy asked.

George stood up and groped for the right words. "Well,
I . . . I . . ." Mary looked at
George pleadingly. "I mean, the expense," he said.

"Think of the neighbors," Milicent said just above a
whisper.

"Think of me," Hook thought, even though he knew what
George was thinking and feeling.

George looked at the boys and then at Millicent. "Dash the
neighbors!" he bellowed. "And dash the expense! Welcome to
the family, boys."

They all rushed him and knocked him down in a hug, saying thank
you repeatedly.

"Oh! You had to pick now to finally grow a spine!" Hook
wailed. Of all things in his life he never expected to experience,
this was well up in the top, pummelled by Lost Boys out of gratitude.

Michael dumped out the bag of treasure they took from Smee: "Will
this help the expense, Father?"

George stared at it the pile in utter amazement for a moment, but
Hook knew that the treasure was of small importance to him. Hook
though was fuming at the thought. "Anyone for a pony ride?"
George shouted. The children cheered and descended on him afresh.

In the midst of hugging and talking, Mary sidled over to George
who leaned in and kissed her gently. "Oh, well. I suppose there
is something to be said for this life of George's," Hook mused.

Unnoticed by most of the room but not by Hook, Pan watched outside
the window. "To live would be an awfully big adventure," he
murmured. Hook was torn– what would be worse Pan here forced to
grow up or back in Neverland always the same, never changing? Next to
Pan, Tink played a little violin. Whatever thought had held Pan
seemed to pass, and he was himself again, all sufficient boy. Hook
wanted to gut him, as he saw Wendy going to the window.

"Peter!" she called.

Pan paused in midair and looked back to see Wendy at the window.
"You won't forget me, will you?" she asked.

Hook desperately tried to will George to grab her by the heels in
case she started after the boy. "Mary will never forgive you, if
you fail again. Let me loose and I'll drown him for you."

"Me? Forget? Never." Pan gave a kind of half wave as he
started to leave. Oh, he knows he won't remember, Hook
thought, still itching to slap the irritating fellow down.

You won't return if you know what's good for you, boy, Hook
thought. Neverland is your realm, stay there and be damned with
you.

There was more celebrating back in the nursery, and Hook lost
himself in the festivities. With Pan gone, most of his fighting
spirit seemed to have left him; he felt tired. After Mary, George and
Millicent (who somehow seemed to have acquired one of the Lost Boys
as her own) got the children settled down for the night or as settled
as overly enthusiastic children could be expected to be, Hook found
himself for a moment alone with Mary. She was so happy that she
seemed to glow. He was entranced by the vision of that kiss on the
right hand corner of her mouth. With a strange impulse that seemed to
come from neither George or himself, he with a curious autonomy
leaned forward and just managed to catch that kiss. Mary looked at
him with a gentle smile that seemed to reach inside to just where
Hook was.

Ha, he thought with satisfaction, not everything
is for the boy after all. Now, now, I think I can rest. He felt
tired, and over Mary's shoulder he caught a glimpse of George's
reflection in the mirror. Odd, to see a mirror that was just a mirror
again. Everything around him seemed to darken and he felt as if he
was drifting off to sleep. Peace at last, unless Pan returns.
If he does, George, I'll be waiting right here. I just hope you're
up to what we'll have to do.

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